Bach Flower Remedies act on the psychological and emotional wellbeing. Discover how they can help you
The Bach flower remedies are named after their originator Dr Edward Bach, a medical doctor, immunologist and bacteriologist who practiced in Harley Street, London in the early 1900s. After many years Bach became convinced that much of the medicine practised in his day was counter-productive. He believed that remedies should only come from plant sources and giving up his practice, moved to Wales to spend the rest of his days developing his range of gentle plant-based remedies.
Medicinal Essence
According to Bach, illness stems from an inner imbalance, an emotional or psychological state affecting health. In his studies, he discovered that vital medicinal properties of plants were transferred into the early morning dew. By floating the plant in pure spring water and leaving it in sunlight for a while, he was able to collect the medicinal essence and preserve it in a small amount of brandy.
Psychological
Dr Bach prepared 38 remedies, The following 18 are considered safe and particularly relevant for preconception, pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood.
Although medical research has failed to come up with an explanation of the effectiveness of the Bach remedies, it is accepted that there is a physiological basis for its benefits. Many people use the remedies and swear by their effectiveness.
Caution
The amount of alcohol you consume with each dose is negligible. It is safe to take them as frequently as desired.
Self Help
Dr Bach developed his remedies primarily for self-help use. They are available in Australia in health stores and many pharmacies. There are several ways in which you can use the remedies. The most common is to put two or three drops under the tongue every four hours to dissolve slowly, or alternatively add two or three drops to water or juice and sip slowly. You can rub the essences neat onto lips, wrists, and temples or add a few drops to water to make a compress. You may also add a couple of drops of the remedy to a massage oil blend or a bath.